Shower Shelf

ABSTRACT

Shower tray (1) for installation on two vertical walls (15, 16) which extend essentially perpendicularly to one another, together form a corner (12) and are clad with tiles (14) separated from one another by horizontal joints (13), said shower tray (1) having a flat, one-piece formed plate element (2) with an underside (3), an upper side (4) which forms a tray surface and defines a plate thickness (S) together with the underside (3) and at least three end faces (5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 18) which connect the underside (3) of the plate and the upper side (4) of the plate to one another and of which two extend perpendicularly to one another, outwardly projecting fastening projections (10) being provided on the two end faces (5, 6) which extend perpendicularly to one another, and the maximum overall height (Hmax) of the shower tray (1) corresponding to the maximum plate thickness (Smax).

The present invention relates to a shower tray for installation on two vertical walls which extend substantially perpendicularly to one another, together form a corner and are clad with tiles separated from one another by horizontal joints, having a flat, one-piece formed plate element with an underside, an upper side which forms a tray surface and defines a plate thickness together with the underside and at least three end faces which connect the underside of the plate and the upper side of the plate and of which two extend perpendicularly to one another.

Such shower trays, which are used in the shower as trays for shower gel, shampoo or the like, are known in the prior art in various designs. They are normally made of bent sheet of a stainless material and have a flat, onepiece formed plate element with an underside, an upper side forming the tray surface and at least three end faces, of which at least two end faces extend perpendicularly to each other. For the attachment of such shower trays to tiles arranged in the wall corner area, it is known that the two end faces extending perpendicularly to each other are each formed as upwardly or downwardly bent flanges defining a tile contact surface. The tile contact surfaces of the flanges can then be bonded to the tiles using an adhesive, in particular a silicone-based adhesive. Alternatively, the fastening can also be carried out using screws which are guided through through-holes provided in the flanges and plugged into the wall. However, the latter variant is disadvantageous if a surface seal is provided between the wall and the tiles, as this is damaged by the screws. A further possibility is to provide the flanges with a large number of openings, as described for example in DE 10 2012 015 574 A1. In this case, the shower tray is positioned between tiles arranged one above the other when the walls are tiled, so that the plate element of the shower tray is arranged in the area of the horizontal joints separating the tiles from each other. This type of shower tray attachment has the main advantage that it is very stable. A disadvantage, however, is that the shower tray can only be attached to already tiled walls by removing the tiles above and below the position where the shower tray is to be attached. On the one hand, this involves a great deal of effort. On the other hand, the tiles can easily be damaged when they are removed, so that appropriate replacements must be available.

Based on this state of the art, it is an object of this invention to create a shower tray with an alternative structure.

To solve this object, the present invention creates a shower tray of the type mentioned at the beginning, which is characterized in that outwardly projecting fastening projections are provided on the two end faces extending perpendicular to each other, and that the maximum overall height of the shower tray corresponds to the maximum plate thickness. In other words, it is proposed to replace the aforementioned flanges extending perpendicularly to the plate element by outwardly projecting fastening projections which do not project beyond the planes spanned by the underside and the upper side of the plate element. Compared to the known flanges, such fastening projections have the advantage that only a small amount of material is required to form the fastening projections. On the other hand, the plate thickness can be freely selected, since no bending processing is required to produce the shower tray according to the invention. Accordingly, the shower tray according to this invention can be given a very high-quality design by a comparatively large plate thickness. A further advantage is that the shower tray according to this invention can be installed either as part of the tiling process or retrospectively. In the former case, the fastening projections only have to be pressed into the not yet hardened joint grout. After the joint grout has hardened, the shower tray is then securely attached to the walls. For a subsequent installation, only the joint grout in the installation area of the shower tray must be removed. This can then be replaced with new joint grout or a silicone compound or similar, in order to then insert and fasten the projections of the shower tray.

The height of the fastening projections is preferably in the range from 0.7 to 2.5 mm and is thus selected in such a way that the fastening projections can be used in conventional joint widths.

According to a design of the present invention, the height of the projections is less than the plate thickness, wherein the plate thickness is preferably in the range of 3 to 6 mm. A plate thickness in the specified plate thickness range leads to a very high-quality appearance of the shower tray according to the invention.

A plurality of fastening projections are preferably provided on at least one end face, whereby a better hold of the shower tray in the area of a joint is achieved.

It is advantageous that the fastening projections provided on one end face in each case are arranged offset relative to one another in the direction of the plate thickness in such a way that, when the fastening projections are inserted in horizontally extending joints separating tiles arranged on the walls from one another, a predetermined slope of the upper side of the plate element relative to the horizontal is set. Accordingly, water accumulating on the upper side of the plate element can run off when the shower tray is installed.

In accordance with a design of the present invention, the two end faces extending perpendicularly to each other are connected by another end face, the length of which is at least 20 mm. Due to this additional end face, an opening is created between the tiles and the shower tray in the corner area. On the one hand, water can flow off through this opening. On the other hand, such an opening facilitates the cleaning of tiles and shower tray in the corner area.

The plate element is preferably made of stainless steel or aluminium. For example, it can be cut out of a corresponding metal plate and then finished using material-removing processes.

The present invention also proposes to use a shower tray in accordance with the invention in such a way that all the fastening projections of the plate element are inserted in horizontally extending joints which separate tiles from one another and meet at right angles.

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention become clear by the following description of a shower tray according to the design of the present invention with reference to the enclosed drawing. There's

FIG. 1 a perspective view of a shower tray according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 a side view of the shower tray in the direction of arrow II in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 another side view of the shower tray in the direction of arrow III in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 a perspective view of the shower tray shown in FIG. 1 during its installation;

FIG. 5 a top view of a shower tray according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 a side view in the direction of arrow VI in FIG. 5 and

FIG. 7 another side view in the direction of arrow VII in FIG. 5.

In the following, identical reference numbers refer to identical or similar parts or components.

FIG. 1 shows a shower tray 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The shower tray 1 comprises a plate element 2 with an underside 3, an upper side 4 forming a tray surface, which defines a plate thickness S together with the underside, and four end faces 5, 6, 7 and 8 connecting the plate upper side 2 and the plate underside 3 to one another, the end faces 5 and 6 extending perpendicularly to one another. The plate element 2 is made in one piece from an aluminium or stainless steel plate. The plate thickness S is preferably in the range from 3 to 6 mm. It is presently constant and thus corresponds to the maximum height H_(max) of the shower tray 1. The plate element 2 is provided with several passage openings 9 extending from the underside 3 to the upper side 4, which presently have the shape of a circular arc segment for optical reasons. Alternatively, the passage openings 9 can also have any other shape. The plate element 2 has at the two end faces 5 and 6 fastening projections 10 extending perpendicular to each other, which extend outwards and are arranged in the area of the planes spanned by the underside 3 and the upper side 4, i.e. do not project upwards or downwards above these. The fastening projections 10 have a depth tin the range from 3 to 10 mm, preferably between 4 and 8 mm, and a height h in the range from 0.7 to 2.5 mm and are essentially cuboid in shape. In the embodiment shown, two fastening projections 10 are provided on the end face 5, which are each arranged in the end areas of the end face 5. The end face 6 has only one single fastening projection 10, which is arranged in the end area of the end face 6 adjacent to the end face 7. The number of fastening projections 10 as well as their length and/or shape may vary depending on requirements. The height h of the fastening projections 10 is less than the plate thickness S. The fastening projections 10, which are arranged adjacent to each other at the end face 5 and at the end face 6, are arranged flush with the underside 3 of the plate element 2, while the remaining fastening projections 10 adjacent to the end face 8 are arranged flush with the upper side 4 of the plate element 2. Due to this arrangement of the fastening projections 10 offset in the direction of the plate thickness S, a predetermined slope of the upper side 4 of the plate element 2 to the horizontal is set when the shower tray 1 is installed, which is explained again below. The two end faces 5 and 6 extending perpendicularly to each other may be connected by another end face 11 whose length l is preferably at least 20 mm. This further end face 11 is represented in FIG. 1 by a dashed line.

For the installation of shower tray 1 on two vertical walls 15 and 16, which extend essentially perpendicular to each other, together form a corner 12 and are clad with tiles 14 separated from each other by horizontal and vertical joints 13, the tiles 14 are fixed in a first step to the walls 15 and 16 in a familiar manner, for example using a thin-bed mortar. Between the walls 15 and 16 and the tiles 14, a surface waterproofing not shown here should be installed in advance. In a further step, the joints 13 are grouted with a grout. Immediately after grouting, the fastening projections 10 of the shower tray 1 are pressed into a horizontal joint 13 extending over the corner area at the desired height. The shower tray is securely attached to walls 15 and 16 when the joint grout hardens. Due to the previously described offset arrangement of the fastening projections 10 in the direction of the plate thickness S, a predetermined slope of the upper side 4 of plate 2 to the horizontal is automatically set during installation if, when positioning the shower tray 1, all the fastening projections 10 are pressed either against the top edges of the lower tiles 14 or against the bottom edges of the upper tiles 14 when positioning the shower tray 1. If the end faces 5 and 6 are not connected to each other by the other end face 11, it is recommended that the slope from corner 12 to the shower slopes downwards. If, on the other hand, an opening 17 is formed between the shower tray 1 and the walls 15 and 16 by the further end face 11, then the slope can also be chosen the other way round downwards in the direction of corner 12.

FIGS. 5 to 7 show a shower tray 1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. This differs from the shower tray described above in that the plate element 2 has a different shape and, as a result, five end faces 5, 6, 7, 8 and 18. The end faces 5 and 6 extend perpendicularly to each other and are each provided with two fastening projections 10, which are all arranged at a uniform level in the direction of the plate thickness S. Accordingly, when shower tray 1 is installed, a slope with respect to the horizontal does not occur automatically. A further difference is that the number and shape of the passage openings 9 are different.

It should be noted that the designs of the invention shower enclosure described above serve only as examples and do not restrict the scope of protection defined by the claims.

REFERENCE CHARACTER LIST

-   1 Shower tray -   2 Plate element -   3 Underside -   4 Upper side -   5 End face -   6 End face -   7 End face -   8 End face -   9 Passage opening -   10 Projection -   11 End face -   12 Corner -   13 Joint -   14 Tile -   15 Wall -   16 Wall -   17 Opening -   18 End face -   S Plate thickness -   H Height -   h Height -   t Depth -   l Length 

1. Shower tray (1) for installation on two vertical walls (15, 16) which extend essentially perpendicularly to one another, together form a corner (12) and are clad with tiles (14) separated from one another by horizontal joints (13), said shower tray (1) having a flat, one-piece formed plate element (2) with an underside (3), an upper side (4) which forms a tray surface and defines a plate thickness (S) together with the underside (3) and at least three end faces (5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 18) which connect the underside (3) of the plate and the upper side (4) of the plate to one another and of which two extend perpendicularly to one another, wherein outwardly projecting fastening projections (10) are provided on the two end faces (5, 6) which extend perpendicularly to one another, and wherein a maximum overall height (H_(max)) of the shower tray (1) corresponds to a maximum plate thickness (S_(max)).
 2. Shower tray (1) according to claim 1, wherein a height (h) of the fastening projections (10) is in the range from 0.7 to 2.5 mm.
 3. Shower tray (1) according to claim 1, wherein a height (h) of the fastening projections (10) is less than the plate thickness (S).
 4. Shower tray (1) according to claim 1, wherein the plate thickness (S) is in the range from 3 to 6 mm.
 5. Shower tray (1) according to claim 4, wherein a height (h) of the fastening projections (10) is less than the plate thickness (S).
 6. Shower tray (1) according to claim 5, wherein the fastening projections (10) provided on one end face (5, 6) are each arranged offset relative to one another in the direction of the plate thickness (S) in such a way that, when the fastening projections (10) are inserted in horizontally extending joints (13) separating tiles (14) arranged on the walls (15, 16) from one another, a predetermined slope of the upper side (4) of the plate element (2) relative to the horizontal is set.
 7. Shower tray (1) according to claim 1, wherein two end faces (5, 6) extending perpendicularly to one another and are connected to one another via a further end face (11), the length (l) of which is at least 20 mm.
 8. Shower tray (1) according to claim 1, wherein the plate element (2) is provided with passage openings (9) extending from the underside (3) to the upper side (4).
 9. Shower tray (1) according to claim 1, wherein the plate element (2) is made of stainless steel or aluminium.
 10. A method of using a shower tray (1) according to claim 1, comprising: inserting all fastening projections (10) of the plate element (2) in the horizontally extending joints (13) which separate the tiles (14) from one another and meet at right angles. 